Yellowknife (Oct 06/03) - Weather is always changing and winds have a way of picking up on Great Slave Lake. Now boaters and snowmobilers can flip their radios to channel 162.400 for weather coverage as far east as Pauline Bay, and up to Wool Bay.

Volunteers attached the radio repeater to an existing antenna on the Inner Whale Backs rock. Inset Ed Roberts fell prey to the slippery rocks and earned four stitches on his face. - photos courtesy of Bernie Van Tighem

Members of the Yellowknife Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Amateur Radio Society loaded up equipment and headed to the East Arm to install a weather radio repeater early September.

It wasn't easy, with one boat having to turn back, but the volunteers worked all day to attach the repeater to an existing antenna on the Inner Whale Backs. The rock is located 70 kilometres from Yellowknife.

"It will help boaters and Skidooers to know what the weather is doing around the corner," says Bernie Van Tighem, lead volunteer for the project.

The repeater receives its transmission from Yellowknife and retransmits down the east arm.

"Once you get out there and it's too rough, you're in a bad position," says Van Tighem, adding that weather information hasn't been available along the east arm before.

Recreational users of the lake can now use their weather radios to access an automated message with updated weather information while they are on the lake.

A challenge

Environment Canada and The NWT Emergency Measures organization received $50,000 in funding from the Search and Rescue first Initiatives Fund for the project.

"It's been a challenge," says Yvonne Bilan-Wallace of Environment Canada. "It was a great community effort of volunteers to make this thing work."

Generating enough power for the repeater to last through the dark winter was an issue. The system runs on low wattage solar and wind power.

"We had to be very conservative with our power sources," says Bilan-Wallace. "Just cross your fingers and hope everything goes well."

Along with location, power, and weather issues, the crew had one other snag as well. Volunteer Ed Roberts fell victim to the slippery rocks and ended up with four stitches on his face.

"It was kind of a blowy day and he slipped on a rock. He toughed it out, I dressed it and he worked the rest of the day," says Van Tighem.

The second phase of the project will be a transmission site in Hay River with an automated weather broadcast, extending the signal even further. Weather is always changing and winds have a way of picking up on Great Slave Lake. Now boaters and snowmobilers can flip their radios to channel 162.400 for weather coverage as far east as Pauline Bay, and up to Wool Bay.

Members of the Yellowknife Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Amateur Radio Society loaded up equipment and headed to the East Arm to install a weather radio repeater early September.

It wasn't easy, with one boat having to turn back, but the volunteers worked all day to attach the repeater to an existing antenna on the Inner Whale Backs. The rock is located 70 kilometres from Yellowknife.

"It will help boaters and Skidooers to know what the weather is doing around the corner," says Bernie Van Tighem, lead volunteer for the project.

The repeater receives its transmission from Yellowknife and retransmits down the east arm.

"Once you get out there and it's too rough, you're in a bad position," says Van Tighem, adding that weather information hasn't been available along the east arm before.

Recreational users of the lake can now use their weather radios to access an automated message with updated weather information while they are on the lake.

A challenge

Environment Canada and The NWT Emergency Measures organization received $50,000 in funding from the Search and Rescue first Initiatives Fund for the project.

"It's been a challenge," says Yvonne Bilan-Wallace of Environment Canada. "It was a great community effort of volunteers to make this thing work."

Generating enough power for the repeater to last through the dark winter was an issue. The system runs on low wattage solar and wind power.

"We had to be very conservative with our power sources," says Bilan-Wallace. "Just cross your fingers and hope everything goes well."

Along with location, power, and weather issues, the crew had one other snag as well. Volunteer Ed Roberts fell victim to the slippery rocks and ended up with four stitches on his face.

"It was kind of a blowy day and he slipped on a rock. He toughed it out, I dressed it and he worked the rest of the day," says Van Tighem.

The second phase of the project will be a transmission site in Hay River with an automated weather broadcast, extending the signal even further.